I'm looking to buy my first shotgun. The main purpose for it would be home defense. I have been reading about Benelli (ARGO vs pump) and Remington. Looking for reliability, simplicity, durability and quality. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance
the old Benelli M1 super 90 gun, in my opinion it is a very good gun, if you could find one. I looked at the Berretta mentioned above and since benelli and beretta are one company now, it might just be about the same thing but I don't know. My last 870 had the shell holder bar fall out of the frame so the shells would not stay in the magazine, gunsmith restaked it and I sold it. Its all a matter of opinion and your wallet and what you can FIND these days. If I was looking for one I would buy that beretta in a NY minute. If you did not like it you could sell it for more than what you paid for it these days. Its a matter of opinion and wallet size, I don't like pumps, I don't don't want to do anything but aim, fire, aim, fire, I don't want to forget to pull the handle if I miss, and a room distances a shotgun is more like a rifle with a 1-2 inch diameter bullets. Good visible sights and another thought don't forget a light its an accident waiting to happen without a good light.
Tactical shotguns are expensive & somewhat scarce right now & the 2 most sought after, for very good reasons are;
Remington 870
Benelli M 1 or 2
If someone handed me 2 grand & told me to buy a tactical pump & auto, these would be the 2. If they handed me 4 grand & made the same request, my purchase would be the same.
Whatever your choice, without shooting, practice drills, penetration test, etc., the gun choice is moot. Enjoy the thing, shoot stuff.
I’ve said this before but the worst handling shotgun I ever had was a Benelli M2 Tactical. Pistol grip stocks and ghost ring sights are not for me. The standard stock and bead front sight are all I want.
The only shotgun I have left is a Benelli M1 field gun with a 21” barrel. It does have a short mag extension and I need to find a light mount for it. But I’ll grab something else more times than not.
I have been issued both Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 patrol shotguns for years. I prefer the 870, but that's mostly a personal preference. I like a tritium front bead and a white light. Strongly dislike pistol grip stocks. The 870P never gave me an issue and when I needed it most it did it's job. Nowadays I have my old Benelli M1S90 Tactical with +2 extention, standard (non pistol grip) stock, sling, low profile sights and Surefire white light stoked with Federal #1 Buck. Brenneke slugs onboard for reloads.
I’ve said this before but the worst handling shotgun I ever had was a Benelli M2 Tactical. Pistol grip stocks and ghost ring sights are not for me. The standard stock and bead front sight are all I want.
The only shotgun I have left is a Benelli M1 field gun with a 21” barrel. It does have a short mag extension and I need to find a light mount for it. But I’ll grab something else more times than not.
If a person shoots a lot of Sporting Clays with the gun started at field position, or any other discipline with the gun started that way, a standard grip or standard configured shot gun will likely be the fastest or most comfortable/familiar to them. Here is the reason for familiarity training to ones most desired goal.
A the end of Dove season I've likely fired 500 or more shells through my M1 & it's very familiar. Switching to anther format at that particular time might be a challenge.
Difference between the Benelli and the Beretta is that the Beretta kicks what feels like half as much.
A Rem 1100, 26" screw in choke barrel, 5 shot extension to make it a 10 shot is a wet dream. Flex side saddle on the right of the stock adds another 5+ rounds.
Somewhat of a thread hijack, but can I reconfigure my TAC-14 into a regular shotgun by replacing the grip with a stock and adding a 20” barrel?
Is there any restriction in converting?
Thinking you can convert up, or to long, but after that ya can't convert back. Silly, but it's the gov. My understanding is not legal, please check reliable, legal sources.
Rem 870, cut an old fixed full choke barrel barrel down to 20". Installed a tritium front bead, Extended safety Mag full of #4 Buck 00 Buck and slugs on the stock.
The newer 870 Police Magnums definitely have their problems.
Berettas and Benellis aren't the same. The Beretta guns are gas operated and Benelli isn't.
If I were to do one now I'd get a standard stocked Benelli. I think a 21" barrel can hold 9 ghost loaded with an extension flush with the barrel. For a dedicated "tactical" shotgun I'd do the 18" with ghost ring sights. But a 21" with an XS rear sight in the rib can do really well with slugs.
I have recoil restrictions mandated by some medical issues. I use a Mossberg 500 in 20GA. Barrel is a factory 18 inch. My gunsmith installed a tritium front bead. I have a sling on it. 6 #3 Buck in the gun, another 5 in a butt sleeve. Works for me
never liked pistol griped shotguns, when i got mine I had them swap out the stock with a regular stock, I have hunted turkeys with my old m1 super90, with a plug in it of course.
The newer 870 Police Magnums definitely have their problems.
Berettas and Benellis aren't the same. The Beretta guns are gas operated and Benelli isn't.
If I were to do one now I'd get a standard stocked Benelli. I think a 21" barrel can hold 9 ghost loaded with an extension flush with the barrel. For a dedicated "tactical" shotgun I'd do the 18" with ghost ring sights. But a 21" with an XS rear sight in the rib can do really well with slugs.
exactly, with slugs and ghost ring sights a benelli well...its oddly accurate...
get a handgun instead, CCW it everywhere and all of the time. You are far more likely to get caught with no longarm as you are to have the piston not be "enough gun". 3/4 of them run at just the sight of your gun pointed at them. Misses have change a lot of minds, even poor hits with .22's have changed a lot more minds. When they find out that the gun IS real, it IS loaded and you WILL try to kill them with it, they typically get a whole new outlook on life, You'll drop $1000 on that shotgun and another $1000 on slugs and buckshot and practice ammo, and you still wont have it when you're at work, shopping, etc, but you can have that $500 pistol that you put $500 worth of cast bullet reloades thru,
Have a Beretta 1201 FP and a Win 1200 pump with short barrel. Both work fine, not the softest on the shoulder but okay as long as you do not shoot 50 rounds at a time. I have been starting to look into the FN SLP, would like to see one before purchase but hard to find one in stores now. It appears to me that it uses a Browning Gold type gas system and I have been using Browning Gold semi auto shotguns with good results the last 15 years. They liked to be cleaned every 750 rounds or so but it is not a hard job. They fit for me and the gas system cuts the perceived recoil.
get a handgun instead, CCW it everywhere and all of the time. You are far more likely to get caught with no longarm as you are to have the piston not be "enough gun". 3/4 of them run at just the sight of your gun pointed at them. Misses have change a lot of minds, even poor hits with .22's have changed a lot more minds. When they find out that the gun IS real, it IS loaded and you WILL try to kill them with it, they typically get a whole new outlook on life, You'll drop $1000 on that shotgun and another $1000 on slugs and buckshot and practice ammo, and you still wont have it when you're at work, shopping, etc, but you can have that $500 pistol that you put $500 worth of cast bullet reloades thru,
The OP said home defense....not defense when picking up booze at the store to get the wifey drunk.
I also don't think anyone here said a "piston" wasn't "enough gun". In fact it may be too much, depending on the particulars. Recent events involving police shooting through walls comes to minds. That's certainly possible with a shotgun too, but I do believe using a shotgun with the right ammo mitigates that risk pretty well, and easier than can be done with a pistol.
To the OP, I have a Rem 700 Marine that I keep by my bedside. I have not seen a reason yet to not recommend it.
I’ve said this before but the worst handling shotgun I ever had was a Benelli M2 Tactical. Pistol grip stocks and ghost ring sights are not for me.
The standard stock with the Comfortech option is a much better choice. Buy the optional cheek piece for the slug gun and your ghost rings line up perfectly with a good cheek weld.
get a handgun instead, CCW it everywhere and all of the time. You are far more likely to get caught with no longarm as you are to have the piston not be "enough gun". 3/4 of them run at just the sight of your gun pointed at them. Misses have change a lot of minds, even poor hits with .22's have changed a lot more minds. When they find out that the gun IS real, it IS loaded and you WILL try to kill them with it, they typically get a whole new outlook on life, You'll drop $1000 on that shotgun and another $1000 on slugs and buckshot and practice ammo, and you still wont have it when you're at work, shopping, etc, but you can have that $500 pistol that you put $500 worth of cast bullet reloades thru,
The OP said home defense....not defense when picking up booze at the store to get the wifey drunk.
I also don't think anyone here said a "piston" wasn't "enough gun". In fact it may be too much, depending on the particulars. Recent events involving police shooting through walls comes to minds. That's certainly possible with a shotgun too, but I do believe using a shotgun with the right ammo mitigates that risk pretty well, and easier than can be done with a pistol.
To the OP, I have a Rem 700 Marine that I keep by my bedside. I have not seen a reason yet to not recommend it.
And who says the OP doesn't already have a pistol....or, two, or twenty....
Older Remington Wingmaster 870. Short barrel & extension magazine.
Yep. That’s what mine is. Plus I have a Rem Tacc-14 with the brace for a truck gun.
I hear they are very hard to find these days. Obvious reasons.
On the pistol grip side of things I once watched a couple guy walk onto a public range with one. Tried to shoot hand thrown birds. We all sat back by the cars and watched. It was one of those funny/scary times.
Mind you they stuck out in a big way...wearing ankle length leather trench coats.....
I've been an Rem 870 or Benelli M2 fan for a LONG time but just saw this IWI TS12 and thought it looked like a nice option. Anyone have any experience with this? Running 15+1 in a sem-auto that's only 8lbs and ~28" long has to be good for something!
Second this, ghost ring sights are top notch out of the box
Home defense includes driveway and yard, and good sights become important with a bit of distance. Downside is it's tough to customize
Also an older 870 that you configure to your liking as an earlier post stated would be a fine choice. Can almost always find a good used one in hunting configuration at a gun show and customize from there.
Can't think of any situation needing a 15 round shotgun that wouldn't have been better served with a 30 round 5.56 and multiple hits.
15 rounds suggests a crowd, and reloads are a real thing.
Originally Posted by Nebraska
I've been an Rem 870 or Benelli M2 fan for a LONG time but just saw this IWI TS12 and thought it looked like a nice option. Anyone have any experience with this? Running 15+1 in a sem-auto that's only 8lbs and ~28" long has to be good for something!
based on deer/pigs that I have killed a single hit with a 5.56 and hunting bullets under 100 yds is quickly lethal, shotguns are fine, but for general utility the 16 inch 5.56 loaded with even the poor 55 grain fmj would be my first choice over any shotgun, course popular opinion is that you can aim in the general direction with a shotgun close your eyes pull trigger etc etc......the 15 shot shotgun, not sure what its mission strength would be but it would be cool to show your friends....
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